The Auswine Forum

Hi Good Peoples,

The best bottle of wine and I had during the week was a Tahbilk 1993 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is really hitting its straps and drinking beautifully; the tannins have softened and resolve nicely but it still has plenty of grip, ensuring it has many years left. The finish is long and smooth and starting to develop excellent harmony. Earthy chocolate characters and black current flavours were most enjoyable. Rated as Excellent, it's a shame this was my last one is as one as this wine should develop beautifully.

Now what have you guys and girls been drinking?

Penny's Hill Shiraz 2004 Deep red with lovely rich nose of blackberry, choc and olives rapped in some subtle oak. Georgous rich mouthfilling palate, firm chalky tanins, fruit in the darker spectrum and good balance from a muscular bodied wine. On the buying list for sure.

Zema Estate Cab Sav 2003 Slightly leafy nose with capsicum some menthol over nice earthy and berry aromas. Dark red in colour. On the palate typical cab hole but quite good firm tanin structure and reasonable length finish with some nice cab fruit backing it up. Should come together nicely in time and will probably buy some of this as well.

Thorn Clarke Quartage 2004 Like everyone else had to a least get a bottle
of this to try. Nice full flavoured wine drinking well now. Elegant mouth feel but not the kind of complexity that I was expecting. My wife really liked it but we both agreed it is not one for the cellar and at $20 there are better qpr wines about.

Glen

1998 Penfolds Bin 707

Decanted for 3 hours. Still an inpenetrable jet black color.
Nose was initially very oaky, but softened later to give off nuiances
of cedar, leather, tobacco and dark plums. Palate was smooth.
The flavour was not overly complex yet, I think that this wine needs at
least another 3 or 4 years before it will hit it straps. The quality of the fruit
is without question, however, the oak treatment and the heavy woody/cedary flavours were too dominant for my liking at this stage.
This was the first of my case that I have opened and I will not open another for before 2010 when I expect it will be an awesome cabernet.

So it is the weekend already, but this is related to wines consumed on a school night this week.

The Happy Wanderer was dropping by for a quiet bbq, but one thing led to another, and we wound up with half a dozen folks sitting around until past everyone's bedtime. Great company, great night, not too sick the next day thanks to moderation.

First off the blocks was a Yarra Yering Dry White No.1 2000. This really is not your common-or-garden SSB. Far more Graves blanc than MR fresh and zesty quaffer, it has become far more drinkable than the acid bomb it was in youth. Still with some zing, but an interesting bunch of maturing flavours mid-palate. Slightly cloudy, but fine.

Then a big gun I just had to try, mainly to gauge how long I can keep the other bottle of this I have in the "cellar". This Alion 1998 was quite amazing. Rich without being overripe, savoury without lacking freshness, showing some nice aged characters but still with possibly decades ahead of it. Tobacco and cedar (cigar box...), dark fruit and spice, and far, far less advanced than a 1997 I had the pleasure of tasting about 3 or 4 years ago. Damn fine.

Rounding out the night was an Antinori Peppoli Chianti 2002. Last time we had this, it seemed quite savoury, but after the Alion it was like a bright fruit explosion! (...though the last time may have been a 2001?)
Very nice.

cranky wrote:Great company, great night, not too sick the next day thanks to moderation.

Hi Cranky,

Agreed; you should do everything in moderation; especially moderation.

1997 Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz

Colour starting to turn to a developed brick red. Nose of earth, pepper and spice. On the palate we were noting a christmas pudding style of mixed spice fruit with a hint of chocolate. Reminded me of the 95 seppelt sparkling for some reason. Classic central victorian shiraz entering its peak drinking window. Drank it over several hours and continued to improve so for me the window will stretch for a couple of years yet. Much more interesting than the 1998 that we had this week as well.

1998 Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz

See above. No where near the level of development. More fruity and dense yet loss of spice for me. I wonder if it was a warmer year?

2005 Vintage Cellars cleanskin Tasmanian Pinot Noir (made by Tamar Ridge)

Nice simple cleanly made pinot. Good density of fruit in colour and on the palate. Short finish but good value at the price. Next day; the taste of cherries and yoghurt?!? I haven't had yoghurt before...

cranky wrote:Yarra Yering Dry White No.1 2000. This really is not your common-or-garden SSB. Far more Graves blanc than MR fresh and zesty quaffer, it has become far more drinkable than the acid bomb it was in youth. Still with some zing, but an interesting bunch of maturing flavours mid-palate. Slightly cloudy, but fine.

Hello cranky,

You seem to have some experience with these. Do you think the 2000 will keep on aging. If you have tried them, how does the 2000 compare with 1998 and 1997?

Thanks,
Adair

02 Sticks Pinot Noir - I think this hales from the Yarra Valley. Good cherry with a foot in the fungus. Yummy for around the $20 (as I was told it cost)with good length. 87/100

More 04 Hoddles Creek PN - Very good for the price but tips the Sticks for fruit but could probably do with some of the fungus. Boing!

1990 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz - Decanted this quickly, and it showed huge amounts of sediment but retained some good blood plum and glistening cherry colours over strong deep brick. Much to my surprise the nose showed uplifting levels of blueberry and liquorice. It was tempting but I had to go and pick up the kids. Got sidetracked at dinner with good conversation and beer and returned to it almost 3hrs later.

It was very gently paddling about in its own deliciousness. By this stage the brick was more obvious but could not detract from its lustrous appearance.

The nose is all autumn herb garden, nutmeg, star anise, dusty raisins with remnants of ripe black cherry pie, and sweetly spiced panatella. On the palate its silken mid-weight supplements the aroma's and bouquet with cassis, hints of blue metal, caramel and an earthy cinnamon sweet vein sitting deep beneath, the ingredients balancing out as if measured by the grain. The tannins are lingering like a misty half-sleep, and the length is, although not exceptional, very good. Drink it now but if you prefer more of the primary fruit components in there I reckon you might still catch them if you decant and drink straight away without breathing (judging by the initial nose). A pure delight 94/100

hints of blue metal

how does this differ from the taste of just plain silver metal?

A busy week so not too much new stuff to speak about:

1998 Justin Vineyard Isosceles (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)
One of a few wines we brought back with us from the states. Unfortunately this one was corked!

2001 Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Scotsdale
As reported before, this is drinking very nicely right now. Great value red. Seriously over-delivers on price. And American wineries take note ... screw-capped!

2002 Richard Hamilton Cabernet Sauvignon Hut Block
Not as good as the last bottle we had about 6 months back. Maybe in a bit of a dumb phase. Ok wine with flavours of sweet blackcurrant. Fine tannins and a medium length finish. A bit simple after the Howard Park Scotsdale. Not sure if this is worth 94 points though, as awarded by JH in his Top 100 wines list for 2004.

1999 Vasse Felix Heytesbury
Decanted for 3 hours prior to consumption. Took this wine to a restaurant in Sydney on the weekend with a couple that fell in love with Vasse Felix wines on a recent trip to MR. Upon initial opening, not much of a nose and taking a sip, this wine had a real tannic bite on the finish. But after 3 hours the wine had softened and displayed strong aromas of blackcurrant and chocolate. The palate still had a firmness about it which suggests to me that this wine still has a little way to go. JO gave a drinking window on this vintage of 2004-07 but I think it could do with a bit more bottle age befores it peaks, maybe another 2-3 years. Gorgeous flavours of blackcurrant coated the tongue, backed up by hints of chocolate and savoury cedar. A very smooth, complex wine which concluded in a long finish of fine, silky tannins. This wine had plenty of flavour and structure, was well balanced and provided much enjoyment on the night. The complete package and another winner from WA.

2004 Kalleske Clarry's Barossa Red
Nice mid-week quaffer.

Andrew Jordan wrote:
1999 Vasse Felix Heytesbury
Decanted for 3 hours prior to consumption. Took this wine to a restaurant in Sydney on the weekend with a couple that fell in love with Vasse Felix wines on a recent trip to MR. Upon initial opening, not much of a nose and taking a sip, this wine had a real tannic bite on the finish. But after 3 hours the wine had softened and displayed strong aromas of blackcurrant and chocolate. The palate still had a firmness about it which suggests to me that this wine still has a little way to go. JO gave a drinking window on this vintage of 2004-07 but I think it could do with a bit more bottle age befores it peaks, maybe another 2-3 years. Gorgeous flavours of blackcurrant coated the tongue, backed up by hints of chocolate and savoury cedar. A very smooth, complex wine which concluded in a long finish of fine, silky tannins. This wine had plenty of flavour and structure, was well balanced and provided much enjoyment on the night. The complete package and another winner from WA.

AJ, you'd better fix that D word again...

Red Bigot wrote:AJ, you'd better fix that D word again...

Changed ... thanks Brian. Habit I suppose ... just can't help myself.

I hope Daryl didn't see it!

Craig(NZ) wrote:

hints of blue metal

how does this differ from the taste of just plain silver metal?

Big difference. Blue metal is a type of rock, crushed. Silver metal is metallic!

Adair

Things are learnt every day!!

I will have to expand my culinary horizons past just crushed ants!

Craig(NZ) wrote:

hints of blue metal

how does this differ from the taste of just plain silver metal?

As in the stone they use in roads. Have you never heard of that before? You are contraray aren't you!

Adair wrote:

Craig(NZ) wrote:

hints of blue metal

how does this differ from the taste of just plain silver metal?

Big difference. Blue metal is a type of rock, crushed. Silver metal is metallic!

Adair

Cheers Adair, just saw your reply.

As in the stone they use in roads. Have you never heard of that before? You are contraray aren't you!

No, genuinely havent heard of it. Maybe its an aussie term. But even if I had heard of it I doubt I would have dined on it often enough to remember the flavour profile

Contrary?? Naturally every forum needs one!

Craig(NZ) wrote:
Contrary?? Naturally every forum needs one!

Yes..just like every body needs an arsehole.
GW

Yes we need you too Gary, you are as much a part of the fabric of wine geekdom as any of us.

And no you dont have to feel the need be an arsehole - we will accept you anyway you turn up.

Just a couple last night:

03 Hope Estate Hope Shiraz Bit scared of this one as it looked like a marketing ploy more than a serious wine and had US surgeon general's warnings all over it so obviously destined for the US market.

All the same, not too bad for a young hunter shiraz although nothing like the label description of pepper. Very approachable and a little simple but still very drinkable. Very soft, smooth and caramel over blue fruits. Didn't get anything savoury out of this at all and if anything it was quite sweet. No noticeable Hunter characteristics at all but went down well enough. Credit.

96 Majella Cabernet Savignon Stepping up a grade here with lovely blackcurrent and chocolate and a touch of vanilla. Very well integrated tannins, nice length and again a very smooth drink at it's peak. Lovely dark red colour too. I had forgotten I had these and found three wrapped up in a box. Nice surprise. No rush to drink the other two but they are at their peak now and I can't imagine them getting any better. Distinction.

Adair wrote:

cranky wrote:Yarra Yering Dry White No.1 2000. This really is not your common-or-garden SSB. Far more Graves blanc than MR fresh and zesty quaffer, it has become far more drinkable than the acid bomb it was in youth. Still with some zing, but an interesting bunch of maturing flavours mid-palate. Slightly cloudy, but fine.

Hello cranky,

You seem to have some experience with these. Do you think the 2000 will keep on aging. If you have tried them, how does the 2000 compare with 1998 and 1997?

Thanks,
Adair

Sorry Adair, my limited experience in this area is based on one young bottle of YY#1 (harsh), one bottle of aged YY#1 (pretty yummy), 2 different young Graves blanc at a restaraunt in Paris 5 years ago (great), and one over-the-hill 1990 Graves blanc more recently (ummm... interesting).

Personally, if I had some more of the 2000, I would try to drink it this year, while it still has some zing.

Red Bigot wrote:[
AJ, you'd better fix that D word again...

NOT AGAIN!!!!



Good one Brian

Cheers

daz

Gary W wrote:

Craig(NZ) wrote:
Contrary?? Naturally every forum needs one!

Yes..just like every body needs an arsehole.
GW

Gary, are you always so introspective?

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More bloody

ric, luv the emoticon.